In the second part of the question and answer transcript from Bruce Buck's guest appearance at last night's (Wednesday) Star on a Stool evening, featuring Roberto Di Matteo, the Chelsea chairman discussed topics including Frank Lampard's contract negotiations, ticketing and TV fixtures.

He began with the future of Stamford Bridge.

Our ground is not big enough for our supporters, what are the club doing to increase the capacity of the stadium?

I think we all feel very strongly about Stamford Bridge, it is the home of Chelsea Football Club and it is where Chelsea should be forever and ever.

If you start with that then what we are doing and have been doing for three years now is exploring every possibility that we can think of to expand Stamford Bridge. The problem we have is that unlike most stadia, we only empty out one way and that is onto the Fulham Road. Because of that, it makes it very difficult to expand. Architecturally, you could probably build another tier on the North Stand, but from a safety perspective that is the egress and ingress requirements, getting those people out in the time required if there is an emergency is impossible.

So we have explored walk ways and tunnels down the railroad towards Earls Court. We have explored going out towards Fulham Broadway, we have explored turning the pitch around the other way. We have talked to all kinds of consultants, but at the moment we don't have a solution.

Only when we give up on finding a solution, and we haven't yet given up, will we think about other sites, and that creates lots of issues. It is a catch 22 to here, you all want a bigger stadium, the club wants a bigger stadium, maybe at one point it's definitively decided it isn't going to be possible at Stamford Bridge, so then you have to decide what you are going to do, and maybe at that point in time we might consider alternative sights. We have been linked with every site in London that's bigger than a postage stamp.

Why will the board not support a standing area in the stands?

I don't have a really good answer for that, but at the moment we think it is unsafe. When we see people standing up we are advised it is inappropriate and unsafe. If some authority did a massive study and came down and said 'Okay you can have a standing area' then we would seriously consider it. But it is not that simple, I mean we can't forget easily what happened at Hillsborough and other places.

It's not a priority for us at the moment, it really isn't.

Are the club in negotiations to move the Newcastle away game?

I am not entirely sure, but I was told today that the Newcastle game to the bank holiday Monday at 4pm or 5pm. (This has now been superseded by the announcement today)

Just let me give you one general point here. The fact is the Premier League has a contract with Sky and Setanta involving the whole complicated procedure for scheduling games. We were caught in the meat grinder on that with respect to our Everton game. We believe it is totally ridiculous that we are playing Everton only 72 hours after we are playing Wigan, on a Thursday night, in Liverpool, when all the other clubs that we are completing with, for the title, are playing on the weekend.

I was talking today with the Premier League on this very subject. Unfortunately you can't get some of the benefits from these contracts unless you give something to Sky and Setanta.

Was Avram appointed because he is Roman's friend and why does Avram keep telling us how good we are, and having a go at the José Mourinho time?

Firstly, let me start on the friendship. Roman knew Avram Grant through football and it is someone he met through football. I wouldn't describe as someone he grew up with or who became he best friend or whatever, it is someone he became acquainted with through football.

We appointed Avram as manager. A lot of people have said Roman just appointed a friend. Roman is a good business person, he would not appoint someone just because he was a friend. We appointed Avram because in September we thought he was the best man for the job.

Now, Avram pointed out one fact, which was when we were in September we were sixth in the league. That is true. We had lost two matches I think, and to be honest I go to virtually every press conference and I only heard something once, which he was just pointing out a fact.

Avram has a great amount of respect for what José did.

Did José jump, was he pushed or was it truly mutual?

It was truly mutual.

What are Chelsea doing to resolve the anti-Semitic problems against Grant?

Chelsea has had an anti-semitism problem for many years, but it has been significantly been reduced over the last ten years. There has, since Avram became manager, been an increase in the anti-semitism and that's something that is obviously totally unacceptable and we are dealing with it.

Do the Chelsea board expect Steve Clarke to move on this summer?

I read that story in the paper and I meant to talk to Steve about it last night and I didn't. But I guess all I can say is this. We think Steve Clarke is great, we want Steve Clarke to stay at Chelsea Football Club. However, we have to be practical. At some point Steve Clarke will want to be first team manager at some club. At some point, the role he is in now will not be enough to fulfil him.

What is the current situation with Frank Lampard's contract?

The current situation is that we haven't had any proper talks with Frank Lampard or his agent since the last part of the season when Frank said he wanted to concentrate on his football and then we would deal with his contract, and that is really the situation we are in. But let me be clear here, as a fan I love Frank Lampard, I think he is a fantastic player and I also think, which in the total scheme of things is really quite important, he is also a fine young man.

I would really like to see him stay at Chelsea Football Club. The board and Roman also believe that Frank Lampard is tops and we are optimistic, confident, pick your word, that we will find a way to keep Frank Lampard at Chelsea Football Club.

Are the club going to do a coach or a train to Liverpool for the Champions League?

I am sure there will be but I don't think we have got round to doing anything with that in the last 24 hours, but I am sure that there will be something like that.

If both teams had refused to play the Everton game, would they just have docked them both three points?

It is totally ridiculous to think that a team, or both teams, would not play a match they are contractually obliged to play. I mean we can moan and try to find a way to change the date, which have done and we have failed, but we are going to play the game.

What is the ongoing emphasis with the Academy now we have reached the FA Youth Cup Final?

We have invested ten of millions of pounds in a new training ground and in the Academy and the Reserves. You all know that we have Frank Arnesen on board, who spends virtually all of his time with scouts around the world looking for the best young players.

It makes perfect economic sense because if you can bring up one or two players every year or every two years from the Academy into your reserves or your first team, then think about the enormous amount of money that you have saved in transfer fees. So it is not only the right thing to do but it makes perfect business sense also.

It is a long-term project, it has only been going for a couple of years, but we will have the best Academy coaches, we will have the best Academy buildings and I think we will have the best Academy players who hopefully we will see in the first team in the years ahead.

Sometimes we don't even fill this ground, we only really fill it when we have Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool, so why do we need a bigger ground when we don't get the right support already because real Chelsea fans cannot afford the tickets?

That is not really true. We only don't fill it on the lesser group stages of the Champions League.

We understand that ticket prices at all football clubs are expensive; this is the way London is. That is why we have done a couple of things.

We have frozen ticket prices for the last couple of years. Also, at the group stages of the Champions League and some of the FA and Carling Cup matches we have significantly reduced prices because we understand that the eight-year-old is the Chelsea fan of tomorrow. Which is why we also limit our season ticket holders to around 25,000. So we understand these sorts of things but we have to put it in a total mix of costs and what others are doing and what have you. But we honestly and truly appreciate the point and are trying to things to meet that concern.

With respect to atmosphere, I don't know it why the atmosphere isn't as good as we would want it to be. Dave Johnson says it is because we don't have standing but I don't totally believe that to be honest. I mean we have tried to do a lot of things that you people have asked for like the signing section, the flags, banners, but still we have to figure out a way to make it come from the heart.

As season ticket holder you used to be able to go and watch the early rounds of the FA Cup and the Carling Cup as part of your season ticket deal, why don't we get that back?

A lot of people have said that but it is all about how it works with the whole pricing structure.

Let me say one more thing. We honestly appreciate what Chelsea fans say and feel and I get a lot of emails, only a few death threats, and generally speaking I try to respond to every single one, except the super abusive ones, because we really do appreciate the support that you give to the club. We know that the boys in the first team frequently talk about the fans' support and it is very important to them.

You get disappointed and I get disappointed at games like the Middlesbrough game where you could hardly hear a peep and we probably needed a lot of noise. But we are all Chelsea fans and we have got to stay behind this team whether they lost today or won today, because we are all Chelsea fans.

Chelsea will be here after Bruce Buck leaves and after, I was going to say Avram Grant but I don't want to do that! But you know what I mean, we have to make sure that through thick and thin we are all Chelsea fans and we do appreciate your support and thank you very much.

Prior to Bruce Buck's Q&A session, Chelsea legend Roberto Di Matteo answered questions for 45 minutes.

It was impossible for Robbie to return to Stamford Bridge without a famous 43 seconds of football being mentioned.

'The goal was very emotional and important,' he confirmed. 'It came after many years when Chelsea had not won a trophy and I felt the relief of the fans. It was a great day.

'The second FA Cup one at Wembley was still very nice because it won us the cup although I didn't have the same feeling after the goal in 1997. There was more surrounding it and you could feel that in the game. After I scored that goal I lost my head for a few minutes and then after that I focused on the game.'

He also discussed the lack of Italians at Chelsea and in the Premier League in general compared with his time here.

'Ruud Gullit was a big influence for me when I decided to play in England but I think Italians like to stay at home with their mamas! We like to be pampered and enjoy the fine cooking we have in our country. Serie A is still a very good league, though. It is appealing for Italian players there so I guess they don't see too many reasons for a different challenge abroad.

'AC Milan won the Champions League last season and Italian teams are still doing very well in Europe. But football moves in cycles; there has always been a time when one country appears dominant in Europe and a few years ago it was Italian teams and now English teams are doing very well with three teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League again.

'I split my time between England and Rome, the former midfielder revealed, 'so I am here a lot. I have never really left since I retired.

'I don't have my restaurant anymore,' he added. 'I haven't had it for eight years but I love London. My future wife is from London, my children were born here so I have a big connection with the city. It is a great place to live. Also, Chelsea are here and I love coming to watch the games at Stamford Bridge.'